Headlight tester



July 28, 1942. A. R. SQUYER lawman: 'rssmz Filed July 17, 1940 5 sheeas-sh eat. 1

y 9 2. A. R. SQUYER 2,291,114 HEADLIGHT TESTER. I 1

Filed July 17, 1940 s Sheets-Shed 2 July 28, 1942. A. R. SQUYER I HEADLIGHT TESTER Filed Jul 17, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet s r, .400 new w mm m ww 5 my m V00 2 1 a Z Em w k a n 70 W 4 July 28, 1942.

A. R. SQUYER HEADLIGHT TESTER Filed July 17, 1940 5 Sheets-Shed 5 6&9 5 m 1'05 g. a.

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HIGH LBW v INVENTOR. dZberZ 12 5g Patented July 28, 1942 UNITED STATES, PATENT, OFFICE HEADLIGHT TESTER Albert R. Squyer, Springfield, Ill., asslgnor to Weaver Manufacturing Company, Springfield, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application July 17, 1940, Serial No. 345,916

13 Claims.

Due to the fact that the present, relativelyrapid driving-speeds of motor-vehicles have created ademand or requirement for safety, this,

' of course, including the proper aim and power of the headlamps of the vehicle, and, since many of the fatal automobile accidents occur at night by reason, in large measure, or in many cases, of the driver's inability to see clearly enough and sufiiciently far down the road, the current invention provides means for reliably testing lamps of automobiles to determine and/or to provide for the adjustment of the aim of the light-beam issuing from each lamp and to ascertain the canrile-power thereof.

One outstanding purpose of this invention is, therefore, to supply a suitable appliance for the facile detection of weak and improperly-directed headlights whereby to increase the safety of night driving and to assist the chauffeur in the correct driving of the car.

An object of the invention is to provide a headlight-tester which conserves floor-space and which simplifies the work of testing headlights so that those of a car can be examined and adjusted, if necessary, in a few minutes.

A design of the invention is to supply an apparatus of this character which is highly accurate for scanning the pattern of the lightbeam by photoelectric-cells associated with suitable dials of measuring instruments, the dials of which indicate the degree of intensity of light on the light-sensitive cells.

The vertical aim of the light-beam, its lateral reflector to condense the beam and to direct it on to the photoelectric-cells, although in its broader aspect the invention is not limited to the employment of such particular type of reflector.

In general, the new headlight-tester in substantial measure removes the employment of the variable and more or less uncertain human element, it is extremely precise in its results, it finds the exact beam-center, it can be operated rapidly, its use involves noguesswork, it is easy and simple to employ, it comprises but few parts, it is unlikely to become deranged or damaged in ordinary service, and it can be employed sat-- isfactorily with all types of headlights from the earliest to those of the present day sealed-beam type.

To the accomplishment of the aforesaid and other purposes and aims of the invention, a present preferred embodiment thereof has been produced and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, to which reference should be had in connection .with the following detailed description, and in the views of such drawings like reference numerals have been employed to desig nate the same parts of the structure.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the novel and improved headlight-tester with its relativelylong rails or tracks shown as broken off at both ends;

Figure 2 illustrates a part of the apparatus and indicates the way it is sighted with relation to the car, the headlights of which are to be aim and its intensity or candle-power are shown by the dials or faces of three electric-meters connected to properly positioned or grouped photoelectric-cells, which are highly sensitive to the slightest tilt of the headlight, whereby the operator need not guess at the top or center of the beam, the meter-dials being in full view before him.

The plurality of photoelectric-cells are balanced, and, in,a sense, they are made to find the true geometric center of the beam which must be determined for exact aiming, thus eliminating the use of the human eye to select the indefinite top or center of the beam.

Suitable scales are provided to show the aim of the headlight as is, and to permit its change, if necessary, to what it should be to meet legal requirements.

The new headlight-tester uses no lensthrough which chromatic and rectilinear aberration would somewhat distort the beam, but rather examined; Figure 3 i afront view of the faces or dials of the three electric-meters actuated by the cur-' rents generated by the photoelectric-cells;

Figure 4 presents the same with the needles of the two direction-meters showing that their respective photoelectric-cells are equally illuminated or balanced;

Figure 5 is a front elevation of the headlighttester with a few parts broken away;

Figure 6 i a centralvertical section through the appliance;

Figure '7 is a rear elevation of a portion of the apparatus with the back cover-plate removed; Figure 8 is an enlarged, horizontal section on line 8-3 of Figure '2;

Figure 9 is a similar section on line 9-9 of Figure '7; V

Figure 10 shows the graduated direction-scales on a large scale;

it incorporates a highly-accurate cancave-mirror Figure 11 is an edge-vlew of the mounting for appliance includes a base 2| equipped with car- 1 rying-wheels 22, 22 adapted to roll on a pair of parallel rails or tracks 23, 23 mounted in any approved manner on a smooth or plane floor which need not, however, necessarily be exactly horizontal throughout its extent, although the rails themselves should be horizontal.

Fixedly mounted on such base in any approved manner is a pair of upright, spaced-apart, hol- The center of the cross-bar is provided with a vertical hole as in register with a mating hole 45 of like size in a base-plate 48, the two aligned apertures accommodating a pivot-bolt 41, equipped on its lower portion with a tighteningnut 46 fitted with an operating-handle 49, a washer 5| being interposed between the crossbar and the nut.

From what precedes, it will be apparent that,

0 when the handle 43 is swung in one direction,

low posts 24, 26 connected together at their upper ends by a hollow-casting 25, brace-rods 26, 26 also joining such base with the top casting for strengthening and stiffening purposes, all as will be readily understood.

Mounted between, and designed for vertical adjustment on, such upright posts, is a cross-bar 21 having an upward-extension 28 at one end, such cross-bar and associated extension having rigid therewith a pair of vertically-aligned bearlugs 29 and 3| receiving and slidable on the one post, the opposite end 30 of the cross-bar being slotted at 32 to accommodate a. circular bearing-member 33 slidable on the other or companion post,'such bearing element having at its opposite ends circular flanges 34, 36 which overlap the top and bottom surfaces of the cross-bar bordering the slot.

In order to counterbalance such cross-bar and the elements hereinafter described which it carries, a chain is connected at its lower end to the bearing-element 3| and it extends up over a rotatable pulley or sheave 36, suitably mounted inside of the casting 25, and then down inside of the corresponding post where it is united to the upper end of a coiled spring 31, the lower-end of which is appropriately anchored.

In similar manner, the cross-bar is connected to a chain 38 which passes upwardly and around a second pulley or sheave 39 inside of the top casting and in like manner has its end fastened to another counterbalancing spring 4| inside the complementary post and fixedly secured at its lower end. i

In order to hold such cross-bar and the parts mounted thereon in any desired position of vertical adjustment on the standard composed of the elements hereinabove set forth, the bearingmember 3| is provided with a screw-threaded hole ,therethrough accommodating the threaded portion of a manually-operable set-screw I! having a knurled handle 33 by which the screw may be readily tightened and loosened, the inner end of the screw being designed to engage the exterior surface of the post extending through the bearing.

Obviously, by loosening the set-screw, the cross-bar and its associated parts may be moved up or down on the standard and by tightening the screw, it may be maintained and held firmly in any desired position of "vertical adjustment.

it loosens, the nut sufliciently so that plate 46 may .be swung or adjusted angularly in its horizontal plane and in which position of adjustment it may be maintained by tightening the nut 5 through the turning of the handle in the opposite direction.

At its front end base-plate 46 has a vertical- U-shaped springs 55, the lower sections of which are fastened to bar 54 and the upper sectionsof which are secured to the front end of a substantially-horizontal, upper plate 56, the two plates 46 and 56 each having large openings therethrough to reduce their weight and in effect transforming them into frames.

This second plate 56 has secured thereto, as by bolts 51, 51, the bottom-wall of a metal box or container, characterized as a whole 53, the front-wall of such box having a window 59 preferably, but not necessarily, covered with a glasspane II to prevent or restrict the entrance of dirt or moisture to the interior of such housing.

-Mounted on the inside of the back-wall of such box or housing is a slightly-inclined, concave, reflecting-mirror 62 which is designed and arranged to receive the headlight-beam passing through the glass 3| and to condense and project it upwardly forwardly on to a group of photoelectric-cells mounted in the front, upper portion of the box somewhat above the window.

Such photoelectric-cell structure comprises a metal angle-bracket designated as a whole 63 and having a top-flange 64 in an opening in-the topwall of the box and held fixedly in position by being mounted on a plate 65 over such opening and fastened around the margin of such opening, the bracket also having a downwardly-sloping flange 66 carrying, by means of bolts 61, 61 and spacing-sleeves 33, 63, an insulation-plate 63 spaced forwardly of flange 66 and also'carrying in front of, and spaced from, plate 66, a heat-dissipating metallic-screen 1| so that an undue amount of heat from the light-beam will not reach the light-sensitive photoelectric-cells.

Such insulation-block 53 on its face toward the concave-mirror carries four photoelectric-cells 12, 12 and 13, 13 arranged in pairs as shown, the

0 two cells of. each pair being balanced or of equal light-sensitivity. It will be observed that the four photoelectriccells are in the same inclined plane, with the two cells 12, 12 above and below one another and the two cells 13, 13 arranged at right-angles thereto or horizontally.

Again, it will be perceived that the two cells of each pair are at equal distances from a center common to all four, which, of course, is midway between the cells 12, 12'and likewise midway between the cells 13, 13.

Cells 12, 12 are employed to determine the aim of the headlight-beam vertically, whereas the companion cells 13, 13 are used to ascertain the aim of the headlight-beam laterally or sidewise.

The two companion cells I2, I21 are connected to an electrlc,high-low meter Iii equipped with a needle I5 operative over the meter face or dial I6 displaying a balance-index Ti and the words High and Low on opposite sides thereof, such meter occupying the front, right-hand portion of a supplemental-casing 38 mounted on the topwall of the box. I

In analogous manner, the two cells i3, I3 are operatively connected to a left-right electricmeter I9 having a needle BI cooperating with a meter-face 92 supplied with a balance-index 63, and having the words Left and Right on opposite sidesof such index, the meter occupying the left-hand portion of such supplementalcasing as viewed from the front of the instrument.

Between the two meters is a third candlepower electric-meter 84 whose needle or pointer 85 functions with a candle-power graduated scale 86 with the graduations from to 5,000 shown in red and coupled with the word "Poor, those reading from 5,000 to 20,000 being in white and associated with the word "Good, while those reading from 20,000 to 50,000 are displayed in green and supplied with the word Excellent."

The wiring of these photoelectric-cells and their meters and the accompanying resistances is as follows:

By conductors 9I and 92, the positive side of the High photoelectric-cell I2 is connected to the negative terminal of the high-low meter I4 and the negative side of the other or Low pho toelectric-cell I2 is connected by wires 93 and 92 to the same terminal of meter I4.

The negative side of High cell I2 is connected to the other terminal of meter I4 by conductors 94 and 95, a suitable resistance 96,

for example of 500 ohms, and a third conductor 91.

In similar manner, the positive side of "Low cell I2 is connected to such second terminal of meter I4 :by means of wires 98 and 99, another minal of meter I9 through conductor I04 and 99, resistance II and wire I03.

The positive side of the Right cell I3 is joined to the negative-terminal of meter I9 through conductors ms and ms, and the negative-side of the Left cell is united with the negative-terminal of meter I9 through conductors I01 and I06. 4

From the electric-system thus presented, it will be clear that, if the two cells of either pair are equally illuminated, the needle of the corresponding meter will be in register with the balance index on its face or dial, whereas, if such cells are unequally illuminated, the fact will be readily perceived because the needle will indicate such unbalanced condition andwill show which cell of the two is receiving the greater amount of light and which the lesser amount.

A total candle-power meter 84 is bridged across the two resistances 96 and IIII and is itself bridged in the usual manner for calibration by an adjustable resistance I08.

Obviously, by the arrangement described, me-

fact, one cell could do the work, but by joining all four cells together, a somewhat greater degree of accuracy is obtained.

Fastened to the rear end of the under-side of the base-plate 46 is a cross-member III carrying an upright guide-frame H2 in the grooves of which is a vertically-adjustable metal plate or panel II3 frictionally held in any position of adjustment by a leaf-spring II4 mounted on the plate and bearing against an upright surface of the frame, such panel or plate near its top end having a transverse horizontal slot I I5 above, adjacent to, and parallel with which on the front side of the plate is a horizontal scale 6 graddated in opposite directions, left and right, from a central zero index, such graduations desirably being in inches at twenty-five feet.

Frame II2 on its front face and overlapping the vertical margins of the adjustable panel II3 has along each of its borders a vertical-scale Ill also graduated in inches at twentyfive feet, each such scale being graduated from an intermediate position designated level and the graduation at three inches on each such scale below its graduation level is preferably red, whereas the other graduations are black.

Plate II3 near its topcarries two pointers II8, ll8xeach cooperating with one of the scales III, I I I as will be readily understood.

A manually-operable knob II9, carrying a pointer I2I cooperating with the graduations of the horizontal-scale H6, is mounted to move crosswise of plate H3 and along scale II6 by reason of a shank or stem I22 for the knob occupyingand slidable in the horizontal-slot H5 of plate II3. I I

Such shank has rockingly connected thereto the upper end of a crossed-bar planographmechanism I23, the lower end of which is rockingly mounted at the center of the vertical element of cross-member III on a screw I24 occupying an upright-slot I25 in such vertical-member and being threaded into a square-nut I26 on a screw I2I mounted for rotation in the hori-.

zontal-element of member III, such screw I24 extending through ahole in the short arm of a U-shaped bracket I26 bearing against the rear face of the vertical portion of member III and knob H9 is transmitted in reduced degree to plate 56 and the parts which it carries.

Preferably, for appearance sake, the'construction within the upright-frame H2 is concealed from view by a rear cover-plate I32.

Along the upper portion of one side of frame II2, a bar I33 is mounted thereon parallel to the I frame and with a slight space I34 between such bar-and the adjacent portion of the frame, this constituting a vertical sighting space.

i The corresponding side-wall of the box or housing 58 is supplied with an upstanding sightlug-bar I35 which can be viewed through the show the total canbe tested.

Headlight servicing requires more exactitude than most other types of examination or testing of an automobile, for example, if the aim of a headlight is' only one degree ofl from what it should be, the beam of light is more than feet 1st of line at a distance of 300 feet and this inaccuracy of aim of the light may throw the hotspot or center of the beam off the road. entirely or cause excessive glare to an oncomer.

To insure good work and to obtain the required precision in headlight-testing, the appliance must be properly installed and used in that the tester and car of which the lights are to be examined must be supported from the same plane, that is, the floor area on which the headlight-tester and car stand must be uniform, although it need not necessarily be level, and, once the tester has been calibrated to the plane of the floor, no other attention is necessary, provided the appliance is not tampered with as to its adjustment.

In operating the headlight-tester, the automobile to be examined is driven up to the appliance at as near a right-angle to the tracks or rails as is feasible and so that the headlight-lenses are about 12 inches from the front glass window of the tester-box, although the tester can be used at a distance of from 3 to 4 feet from the headlights, but, at such a distance, the candle-power meter reading decreases about 5 to and, for this reason, it is recommended that all testing be done with the headlight-lens from 1 to 24 inches from the front of the box.

Before undertaking the test or adjustment of the headlights, the car should be rocked to relieve any spring-tension, the tires should be inflated to the proper pressures, care should ."be observed that no one leans on the car-fenders while making adjustments, and the lamps should be adjusted with the car unloaded.

The present headlight-tester is a sensitive and accurately-performing instrument and for this reason the foregoing points should be carefully observed, since the least change in the position of the car which will also change the position of its lights will register on the meters of the appliance, although, as indicated above, the distance of the headlights from the tester is subject to substantial variation without material ter could be shifted for correct position with reference to the tester.

The-instrument is then moved alon the rails until it is directly in front of the headlight to be tested and it is adiusted to the proper height by sliding it up and down and watching the needle of the candle-power meter, and. when the point of highest reading is shown, the operator locks the tester in place by means of the manuallyactuated set-screw 42.

With the high or driving beam of the headlamp active, the positions of 'the meter hands or pointers of both aiming high-low and leftright meters are noted, I

Knob H8 is thereupon moved back and forth horizontally on its panel and the latter is shifted vertically by the knob until the pointers or hands of both direction-meters are on their center balance marks.

The readings on scales H8 and II! now show respectively the lateral aim and inclination of the center of the beam.

For example, if the aiming meters read "Right" and Low," then the knob should be moved to the right and downwardly until such balanced result is accomplished and the candle-power reading should be noted.

Pointer III of the knob shows on the horizontal scale Hi the side aim of the beam and both pointers ill show on the vertical-scales Ill the up or down aim of the beam. I

If these readings are not what they should be,

then knob ll 9 is adjusted up or down, as the case may be, so that both vertical scales indicate the legal drop of the beam in inches at a distance of 25 feet, the standard aim recognized in all States of the United States, at the present time, a 3 inch drop in 25 feet from level and that is why such readings on the vertical scales are showninred.

This having been accomplished, the knob is shifted sidewise until it depicts on the horizontal standard side aim recognized in all States for dual-beam headlights, including sealed-beam but modification of the accomplishment of reliable results.

The instrument is moved along the rails until it is in front of the center of the car, then with the pointer IN on the zerograduation of scale H6, handle 49 is turned to release its associated V nut 48, whereupon the operator sights' through the vertical aiming-slot I 34, on the right-side of,

the upright frame as he faces the car, across the vertical stem sight I35 on the right front portion of the box and along the center line of the car's hood, this operation lining up the box and assonot asymmetric beam, is center of beam straight ahead, this being shown by zero on the scale.

When the lamps are adjusted so that the needles of both direction-meters are on their center or balance lines, they will be correctly aimed and have the maximum in candle-power reading.

Asymmetric headlamps always have their lenses marked "Right and Left" since they are not interchangeable and must be used with the lamp for which they are designed, it being wellknown that with asymmetric type headlamps only one beam changes, the other remaining in the same position for both driving and passing.

In adjusting and aiming asymmetric headlamps, the operator must first discover which beam drops when passing and aim it straight ahead with the legal drop for that locality and then the stationary beam is aimed 13 inches to the right on the tester-scale. V

As indicated above, in some cases, it is desirable to first ascertain the aim of the headlightbeam presented for servicing of the headlamp, but, if preferred, the tester can be set for the correct aim and the headlamp adjusted to conform to such specified and required direction -without preliminarily ascertaining its presen aim.

If preferred, the photoelectric-cells may be be tested and to project it in condensed form on said cell-means, an adjustable support on which said optical-meansand said cell-means are mounted, the three elements constituting a unit adjustable as to its aim relative to the headlamp, graduated-means showing the various adjusted aim positions of said unit, an electriccircuit system in which said cell-means is included, and an electric-current-actuated indicating-means in said system, the combination of novel features being that said cell-means includes a pair of said cells of equal electric-current-generating sensitivity to visible-light located so that when the light-beam is projected on them by said optical-means the section of the light-beam received by one cell of the pair will be that in vertical register with the light-beam section received by the other cell of the pair, that said electric-circuit system, indicating-means and pair of cells are associated together whereby the electric-currents generated by said cells operate on said indicating-means in opposed relation, and that said indicating-means shows when both cells receive the same amount of light from the beam.

2. The novel features in headlight-testers set forth in claim 1 in combination with the additional novel feature that said indicating-means specifies the direction of adjustment of said cells, when not lighted in the same degree, to eifect their equalized illumination.

3. The novel features in headlight-testers set forth in claim 1 in combination with the additional novel feature of a means connected to,

of cells are associated together whereby the electric-currents generated by said cells will operate on said indicating-means in opposed relation,

. said indicating-means showing when both cells receive the same amount of light from the beam.

5. The novel features'in headlight-testers set forth in claim 4 in combination with the additional novel feature that said indicating-means. specifies the direction of adjustment of said cells, when not lighted in the same degree, to effect their equalized illumination.

6. The novel features in headlight-testers set forth in claim 4 in combination with the additional novel feature of means connected to, and actuated by the electric-current generated by,

at least one cell of said pair, graduated to show i the total candle-power of the light-beam.

7. In a headlight-tester incorporating cellmeans sensitive to, and capable of generating an electric-current proportional to, the intensity of visible-light played thereon, optical-means to receive the light-beam from the headlamp tobe tested and to project it in condensed form on said cell-means, an adjustable supporton which said optical-means and said cell-means are mounted, the three elements constituting a unit adjustable as to its aim relative to the headlamp,

graduated-means showing the various adjusted aim positions of said unit, an electric-circuit system in which said cell-means is included, and an electrlc-current-actuated indicating-means in saidsystem, the combination of novel features being that said cell-means includes a first-pair of said cells of equal electric-current-generating sensitivity to visible-light and a second pair of.

said cells of equal electric-current-generating sensitivity to visible-light, said cells being grouped symmetrically around a. common center on the axis of said optical-means, said cells being so located that when the light-beam is projected on them by said optical-means, the light-beam section received by one cell of said first pair will be that in vertical register with the light-beam section received by the other cell of said first pair, and the light-beam section received by one cell of said second pair will be that in horizontal register with the light-beam section received by receive the light-beam from the headlamp to be 1 being that said cell-means includes a pair of said cells.of equal electric-current-generating sensitivity to visible-light located so that when the light-beam is projected on them by said opticalmeans the section of the light-beam received by one cell' of the pair will be that in horizontal register with the light-beam section received by the other cell of the pair, that said electric-circuit system, said indicating-means and said pair the other cell of said second pair, that said indieating-means includes two indicators one for each pair of cells, that said electric-circuit system, said indicators and said pairs of cells are associated together whereby the electric-currents generated by said first pair of cells operate on their indicator in opposed relation, whereby said electric-currents generated by said second pair of cells operate on their indicator in opposed relation, and that each indicator shows when both cells of its pair receive-the same amount of ligh from the beam.

8. The novel features in headlight-testers set forth in claim 7 in combination with the additional novel feature that each indicator specifies the direction of adjustment of its pair of cells, when not lighted in the same degree, to effect their equalized illumination.

9. The novel features in headlight-testers set forth in claim 7 in combination with the additional novel feature of a third electrically-operated indicator in said system whereby said indicator is actuated by thefour currents generated by the two pairs of cells, said third indicator being graduated to show the total candle-power of I the light-beam.

10. The novel features in headlight-testers set forth in claim 7 in combination with the additional novel feature that said optical-means is a concave-mirror avoiding the inherent chromatic and rectflinear aberration of a convex-lens.

11. The novel-features in headlight-testers set forthin claim 7 in combination with the additional novel features of means to adjust the aim of said unit vertically, means to adjust the aim of said unit horizontally, and operating-means common to both said adjusting-means.

12. The novel features in headlight-testers set forth in claim 7, and in which the known headlight-tester has in addition a main-support, means to adjust the aim of said unit vertically, means to adjust the aim of said unit" horizontally, the additional novel features being that said two adjusting-means include an upright, horizontally-slotted plate vertically-slidable on said main-support, a manually-operated knob having aportion thereof slidable in said plate-slot, motion-reducing means connecting said knob with said main-support and with said unit. whereby vertical movement of said knob slides said plate vertically and tilts said unit vertically and sidewise movement of said knob in said plate-slot varies the side-aim of said unit. said graduatedmeans showing the various adjusted aim positions of said unit including (a) a vertical-aim scale in erect position on said main-support and an index on said plate coacting therewith, and (b) a horizontal-aim scale parallel to said plateslot and an indexon said knob coacting therewith/ 13. The novel features in headlight-testers set forth in claim '1 including the additional novel features that said optical-means is a concavemirror, that said adjustable support includes a housing carrying said concave-mirror and said cells in fixed relation to one another as the unit, and that said housing has a window at one end with said concave-mirror inside the housing at the opposite end thereof and with the cell-means at the window-end of said housing.

am'sna'r R. soma. 

